A Victorian dust cart: 19th century

Full image caption

A Victorian dust cart. Watercolour. A horse-drawn dustcart is being filled by two men with baskets. At this period the scavenging of the London streets was the responsibility of the parish authorities, who paid contractors to perform this duty out of local rates. According to the state of the weather, between 130-190 carts were operative daily in the London area removing the dirt from streets and refuse from house-bins.